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Manchester United are in negotiations to sign Jerome Boateng, the Bayern Munich defender whom Jose Mourinho has identified as a possible solution to what he regards as an acute lack of leadership and experience in his central defensive positions.

The problems perceived by Mourinho among his squad have focussed in the last week on the central defensive positions where Boateng, a 29-year-old who suffered a serious injury in April, is one option.

Bayern have started the negotiations at a steepling £50 million with the clubs in contact before their friendly at the Allianz Arena on Sunday night. The Germans also want a viable replacement before they are prepared to part with the player.

It would be a major investment in a footballer who will be 30 in September and who came close to missing the World Cup finals with a thigh injury that ended his club season for Bayern on April 21.

Mourinho’s stance all summer has been that he wanted additions at full-back and in midfield, with the pressure transferred to the club’s chief executive Ed Woodward and his key aide on transfers, Matt Judge.

There is some trepidation at Mourinho’s likely frame of mind going into the season if the squad is not changed in the way that he had hoped, with some players still yet to be moved on.

The early closing of the transfer window has proved disastrous for United who may yet have to pay one of the inflated asking prices being quoted them this week as clubs come to realise the pressure being applied by their manager. Bayern have longer to sign a replacement for Boateng with the German window closing on Aug 31 in line with the rest of Europe.

Boateng played the second half of the friendly against United at the Allianz Arena on Sunday night. The former Manchester City defender, sent off against Sweden in the World Cup finals, is by no means United’s first choice but such is Mourinho’s dissatisfaction that they need contingencies.

Leicester City's Harry Maguire has been a target for MourinhoCredit:
REUTERS

The perception at the club is that it is Woodward who would have preferred to have bought Harry Maguire from Leicester City, the club’s original defensive target, while Mourinho was less committed to signing the England international.

A possible deal for Yerry Mina, the Colombia defender at Barcelona, seems less likely now and Boateng is thought to be one of a number of options United are pursuing.

Mourinho said after the game in Munich that Woodward “knows what I want for quite a long time” and that he was doing his best.

The relationship is likely to come under strain again if the United manager speaks publicly about his disappointment over the summer on Friday night when his team face Leicester City in the first game of the season at Old Trafford.